The Wild Hunt

Record summary

The Wild Hunt is a cluster of European traditions describing a spectral host traveling through the night sky or across the landscape, often led by Odin, Wotan, Herne, or another named figure. Medieval and early modern sources, including Germanic, Scandinavian, English, and French materials, vary substantially in imagery and interpretation. It may combine seasonal procession lore, the returning dead, storm mythology, and Christian demonological reinterpretation. Comparison requires separating related traditions from a single pan-European myth and tracking local names, dates, and literary transmission.